SOVAC registered approximately 1,300 students during the Fall Quarter move-in period. This brought the voter population of UCSD to approximately 15 percent. UC Santa Barbara has the highest student voter population in the country, with 38 percent of its students registered to vote.
According to SOVAC Administrative Director Carl Welliver, a high voter population makes universities more important to politicians in their campaigns and policy choices.
“When Jerry Brown started his campaign for Governor of California, he started at UC Santa Barbara,” Welliver said. “I think that shows how significant a change in voter registration numbers can be.”
Prior to SOVAC, only six percent of UCSD students were registered to vote, the lowest percentage of voters among the UC schools.
“[UCSD experienced] a much higher registration in [SOVAC’s] first year [due to the organization’s methods of reaching out to students], which is significant because it is an off-election year,” SOVAC External Press Associate Mina Nilchian said. “Next [fall], when we’re doing the presidential registration, it will shoot up.”
According to Welliver, SOVAC is the first student organization that has been allowed to table in the library.
The organization tables during the first two weeks of every quarter.
“We teach the know-how of voter registration so that when you’re off in the adult world, you know what to do and you know how to register,” Nilchian said.“[For example] you have to re-register every time you change your address.”
Two UCSD students founded the organization last spring.
The organization was integrated into A.S. Council during the beginning of Fall 2011.
SOVAC works with student activist organizations at UCSD, such as College Democrats, College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty.
The organization is also active with other UC campuses, especially UC Santa Cruz, UCLA and UC Berkeley, to help increase the number of students registered to vote statewide.
“We’re constantly gaining new contacts and will hopefully expand nationwide,” Welliver said. “SOVAC members are strictly non-partisan while conducting official business, and that our relationship with various political groups will never compromise our neutrality.”